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Panel Discussion: Two Decades of Django: The Past, Present and Future

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Sauganash Ballroom   |   Audience level: Audience level: All

About this session

This special anniversary panel will reflect on Django's evolution, from its early days to its global adoption and look into what's needed to sustain and grow the Django ecosystem into the future.

The conversation will explore:

  • The moments that defined Django's past and the ones shaping its future
  • Technical challenges and architectural choices ahead
  • What community health really looks like after 20 years
  • How different roles, from governance to grassroots organizing, work together to keep Django thriving
  • What we should let go of, and what we can't afford to lose

Our panelists include:

  • Tim Schilling,Co-Founder Djangonaut Space and Django Steering Council Member
  • Natalia Bidart, Django Fellow, maintaining and improving the framework every day
  • Rachell Calhoun, Co-Founder Djangonaut Space and Django Girls organizer
  • Peter Grandstaff, President of Django Events Foundation North America (DEFNA)
  • Jeff Triplett, Django Software Foundation (DSF) Board Member
  • Dawn Wages, Chair Person, Board of Directors of the Python Software Foundation (PSF)

Presented by

  • Velda Kiara

    Velda Kiara

    Velda Kiara is a software developer and technical writer, widely recognized for her expertise in Python, particularly within the Django framework. Her passion extends to open-source contributions, where she actively enhances both code and documentation, sharing her knowledge with the wider developer community.

    Kiara's significant contributions include writing Django News Updates for Djangonaut Space and maintaining the Django Debug Toolbar, among other vital projects. Her commitment to the Django ecosystem is further exemplified by her role as a director for the Django Events Foundation North America, the organization responsible for DjangoCon US, an event she also volunteers for.

    Her dedication and technical prowess within the Python and Django communities have been widely acknowledged. She has been honored as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Python and Web technologies and is also a Python Software Foundation Fellow.